Are my wood shavings okay?

[chrissynemetz]

Hello, and welcome to BYC! We're glad you joined us!

 

[N F C]

Hi, thanks for joining us! Your bedding and feeder/waterer questions have been well answered...feel free to ask questions any time. There are a lot of experienced members here to help you out. Best wishes!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

Their water and food is already full of said wood shavings! Suggestions?

For the food container, raise it up as high as practical so they have to stretch a little to reach it. Their scratching is always going to fling the shavings around.

I suggest you make a 'baby bottle' for their waterer. I just go to thrift stores to look for plastic sports bottles with a flip top lid that screws on and has a handle. Then insert a vertical poultry nipple in the bottom using the exact size drill recommended. I also wrap the threads with 2-3 wraps of Teflon tape for added leak proofing. Then you hang the bottle from a chain and S-hook and open the flip top to prevent a vacuum from forming. The water stays clean and the bedding stays dry and there is no risk of a chick drowning in the water.

As the chicks grow, you can raise the bottle a link at a time.

 

[Bsmac]

Hello! Welcome to BYC! Great idea from @DobieLover! Best of luck with your chicks!

 

[007Sean]

Howdy, and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

For the food container, raise it up as high as practical so they have to stretch a little to reach it. Their scratching is always going to fling the shavings around.

I suggest you make a 'baby bottle' for their waterer. I just go to thrift stores to look for plastic sports bottles with a flip top lid that screws on and has a handle. Then insert a vertical poultry nipple in the bottom using the exact size drill recommended. I also wrap the threads with 2-3 wraps of Teflon tape for added leak proofing. Then you hang the bottle from a chain and S-hook and open the flip top to prevent a vacuum from forming. The water stays clean and the bedding stays dry and there is no risk of a chick drowning in the water.

As the chicks grow, you can raise the bottle a link at a time.

View attachment 4241320View attachment 4241319​

Our chicks have nipple bottles too. They all learn about Day 2. Around 3 weeks, they can use the horizontal ones.

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to the BYC community. When available, I prefer hardwood to pine.

 

[Tookie]

Hello, and welcome to BYC!

 

[BoundlessLove]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens!